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Day 1 | Monday 30 November

1. Opening session

The meeting was opened by the President of the Fourteenth Meeting of the States Parties (14MSP), H.E. Bertrand de Crombrugghe, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations in Geneva.

1.a Adoption of the agenda

The 14MSP adopted its agenda.

1.b Election of the Vice-Presidents

The 14MSP elected the eight outgoing members of the Convention’s Committees as Vice-Presidents of the 14MSP: Afghanistan, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Poland and Zambia.

1.c Confirmation of the Secretary-General

The 14MSP confirmed as Secretary-General of the 14MSP H.E. Urs Schmid, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament.

1.d Organisation of work

The 14MSP adopted its programme of work.

1.e Ceremonial opening

The ceremonial opening featured addresses by Didier Reynders, Vice Prime Minister of Belgium; H.R.H. Princess Astrid of Belgium; Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, on behalf of the UN Secretary General; Georges Martin, Deputy State Secretary of Switzerland; Christine Beerli, Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Megan Burke, Director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines – Cluster Munitions Coalition; and, Barbara Haering, President of the Council of Foundation of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining.

The following States Parties delivered a statement during the ceremonial opening: Somalia, Ukraine and Afghanistan. 

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1.ei General statements

The following States Parties submitted general statements in writing: New Zealand, Iraq and Zambia.

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1.f High level session on victim assistance

This session built upon the momentum created at the 2014 Maputo Review Conference and raised awareness for the Maputo +15 Declaration and the implementation of the Maputo Action Plan with a view to ensuring the full, equal and effective participation of mine victims in society by adopting a comprehensive, long-term, multi-disciplinary and sustainable approach to providing assistance to mine victims. The following participated in the session: 

  • H.R.H. Princess Astrid of Belgium
  • H.E. Elayne Whyte Gomez, Ambassador of Costa Rica
  • Ms. Margaret Arach Orech, Director of Uganda Landmine Survivors Association
  • Mr. Mohammad Hussain Ahmadi, Peer Supporter at the Afghan Landmine Survivors Organization
  • Ms. Luz Dary Landazury, Campaigner for the Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines
  • Ms. Wiboonrat Chanchoo, Head of Landmine Survivors and People with Disabilities in Pan-Suk Subdistrict, Thailand
  • Mr. Luis Wamusse, National Coordinator of RAVIM (Mozambican Landmine Survivors Assistance Network)
  • Mrs. Catalina Devandas Aguilar, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • Mr. Facundo Chavez Penillas, UNHCR Advisor on Human Rights and Disabilities
  • Mr. Julio Bravo, Director of International and Human Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile
  • H.E. Didier Reynders, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Belgium
  • H.E. Bertrand de Crombrugghe, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations in Geneva 

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2. Operation and status of the Convention

2.c Conclusions and recommendations related to the mandate of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation

Informal presentation of requests submitted under Article 5 and of the analysis of these requests

Cyprus presented its request for an extended mine clearance deadline and the Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation presented the analysis of this request. The following delegation shared views with respect to this request: ICBL.

Ethiopia presented its request for an extended mine clearance deadline and the Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation presented the analysis of this request. The following delegations shared views with respect to this request: ICBL and China.

Mauritania presented its request for an extended mine clearance deadline and the Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation presented the analysis of this request. The following delegation shared views with respect to this request: ICBL.

The agenda item continued on Tuesday, 1 December 2015.

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